In this Peoria County case, two children (A.P. and J.P.) of a divorced mother were held
by the circuit court to be neglected based on a finding of “environment injurious to their
welfare.” In 2010, the younger child, a boy aged 2½ years, was brought to the emergency
room of OSF Saint Francis Medical Center by his mother. He had second-degree burns on
his face. His mother had found him, injured, at the home of her boyfriend, who had been
babysitting the two children for her. She did not live with the boyfriend. She appealed the
finding of neglect, and it was reversed by the appellate court.

In this decision, the Illinois Supreme Court agreed with the appellate court, noting that
the evidence did not show that the mother had any prior indication that the boyfriend would
not provide a safe environment and also noting that she immediately took the child to the
hospital. The finding of neglect was, therefore, against the manifest weight of the evidence,
and the appellate court was affirmed.